Vine-support or trellis



N0. 6I9,379. Patented Feb. I4, |899. E. H. WILLIAMS R. D. MURRAY.

VINE SUPPORT v0R TRVELLIS.

(Application filed May 2, 1898.) (No Model.) n

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELI H. VVILLAMS AND RODERICK D. MURRAY, OF VVATERTOVN, TENNESSEE.

VINE-SUPPORT OR TRELLIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 619,379, dated February 14, 1899. Application tiled May 2, 1898.l Serial No. 679,511. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELI H. VILLIAMS and RODERIOK D. MURRAY, citizens of the United States, residing at lVatertown, in the county of Wilson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Vine-Support or Trellis, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a vine-support or trellis designed for use in training pea-vines, tomato and cucumber vines, dac. and the object in view is to provide a simple and portable structure adapted to be folded into compact form and of a material suitable for exposure without deterioration.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trellis suitable for arrangement parallel with rows of plants, wherein the supporting-arms are of extensible construction to suit the height of the runner and the interval between the vertical plane of the runner and the rows of plants.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description,and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of a trellis constructed in accordance with our invention, a portion thereof being doubled for use in connection with the plurality of parallel rows of plants. Fig. 2 is a det-ail view of one of the supports or legs. Fig. 3 is a similar view of one of the spacers used for separating contiguous runners. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one of the post-sockets and the contiguous portion of the post. Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of a runnerand attached su pporting-legs, showing a slightly-modified construction of runner-links.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The trellis embodying our invention consists, essentially, of terminal uprights or posts 1, connected by one or more runners 2 of sectional or linked construction, a suitable number of intermediate posts la being employed to support intermediate portions of the runners, according to the length thereof, one such intermediate post being indicated in the drawings. The runner is adapted for arrangement parallel with a row or rows of plants or vines to be trained, and may be stretched at any suitable height, from two or three feet to eight feet above the surface of the ground, according to the plants or vines which are to be supported thereby, and loosely connected with the runner at spaced points are legs 3 of extensible construction, preferably of wire, and having slidably connected upper and lower members 3n and 3b.

In the construct-ion illustrated the runnerlinks are provided with terminal eyes Ll, which are interlocked to provide for the folding of the runner into compact form for transportation or storage, and each link is provided with a plurality of laterally-projecting loops 5, with which the looped upper extremities of the legs are engaged, said lateral or attaching loops being integral with the links and having their sides intertwisted, as shown, to give them the necessary strength.

The members 3a 3b of each leg are respectively provided with guide-eyes 6 and 7, and the lower member is also provided with a stop 8, consisting in the construction illustrated of an auxiliary eye arranged at an intermediate point of the member 3b and also fitted to slide upon the member 3, but serving to limit the extension of the members, whereby there is always a sufficient bearing between the parts to insure the alinement thereof, and hence the efficient supporting of a vine trained thereon. Also the lateral offsetting of the members of the legs in order to form the guide-eyes above mentioned produces elongated intervals between the members, which serve to facilitate the engagement of vines therewith.

As shown at A in Fig. l, a single runner may be stretched between the supports when the trellis is to be in connection with only one row of plants; but when it is to be used in connection with two or more rows of plants the runner is preferably duplicated, as shown at B, the legs of the two runners being inclined outwardly in opposite directions, with their lower ends thrust into the soil at points contiguous, respectively, to the rows of plan ts, and in order that the runners where arranged in duplicate may be spaced apart to prevent ICO the entangling of the links and enable the legs to be arranged in a more nearly upright position we employ spacers 9, consisting of a zigzag or W-shaped wire having outwardlyturned extremities for engagement with eyes 10 near the ends of the runner-sections.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that as the trellis is constructed solely of wire, with the exception of the supporting posts or uprights, it is not liable to deterioration by reason of exposure, and owing to the fact that the legs are extensible the runners may be arranged at any desired distance above the surface of the soil to suit the peculiarities of the vines which are to be trained thereon; but in order that this disposition of the runners may be accomplished with facility we preferably construct the posts or uprights in connection with sockets l1, through which the body portions of the uprights extend,the lower extremities of the latter being embedded in the soil. The sockets are provided with a plurality of lateralbracing-wings 12, designed to rest upon the surface of the soil in radial positions, and the body portion of the post is held at the desired adjustment in the socket by means of a set-screw 13. Also the body portions of the posts may be provided contiguous to their upper ends with attachingeyes 14, with which the extremities of one or more runners may be engaged, according to the conditions under which the device is to be used.

Owing to the height at which the runners may be arranged above the surface of the soil it is possible to plow or otherwise work the soil at either side of a row of plants without interference of the trellis with the operations of the workman. The height of the runner, owing to the extensible construction of the leg, may be made such as to enable a horseand plow to be operated thereunder, and the. inclination of the legs upon which the vines are to be trained is such as to hold the vines in a convenient position for the harvesting of produce therefrom. t Y Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is 1. Atrellis havingarunner, and rods, forming supporting-legs of extensible construction, each comprising relatively-adjustable lnembers of which the upper member is connected to the runner for angular movement, and of which the lower member is mounted to slide upon the upper member and is adapted to be embedded at its lower end in the soil, substantially as specified.

2. A trellis having a runner and connected extensible supporting-legs, each comprising relatively-adjustable upper and lower members provided respectively with terminal guide-eyes, one of the members having an intermediate eye forming a stop to limit the extension of the members, substantially as specified.

3. A trellis having a runner constructed of terminally-connected links, and extensible 'supporting-legs connected with the links, and adapted to be embedded at theirA lower extremities in the soil, substantially as specified.

4. A trellis having a runner constructed of terminally connected links having lateral loops, and supporting-legs having eyes engaged with said lateral loops and adapted to be embedded at their lower extremities in the soil, substantially as specified.

5. In a trellis, the combination of contiguous runners, each having connected support ing -legs adapted to be embedded at their lower extremities in the soil, and spacers interposed between the runners for maintaining them at intervals, substantially as specied.

6. In a trellis, the combination with snpporting posts or uprights having attachingloops, of a plurality of runners terminally engaged with said attaching-loops, and each having connected supporting-legs adapted to be embedded at their lower extremities in the soil, and W-shaped spacers havin g their arms engaged respectively with eyes near the extremities of the runners for maintaining them at an interval, substantially as specified.

7. In a trellis, the combination of posts or uprights having vertical body portions adapted to be embedded at their lower extremities in the soil, sockets through which said body portions extend for adjustment, and provided with radial bearing-wings for contact with the surface of the soil, set-screws for securing the body portions of the u prights at the desired adjustment in said sockets, a runner connecting the uprights, and supporting-legs con'- nected with the runner and adapted to be embedded at their upper extremities in the soil, substantially as specified.

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In testimony that we claim the foregoing as y our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses. E. Il. WILLIAMS.

RODERICK D. MURRAY. Vtitnesses:

C. ORUTCHFIELD, P. M. WILLIAMS. 

